


Enterprise Coincidence

by MirrorEmpire



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Episode: s03e04 The Enterprise Incident, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-22
Updated: 2013-09-22
Packaged: 2017-12-27 08:24:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/976603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirrorEmpire/pseuds/MirrorEmpire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story originially appeared in Masiform-D 6, July 1977</p>
<p>The events of the episode ENTERPRISE INCIDENT occur during the asterisks.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Enterprise Coincidence

**Author's Note:**

> This story originially appeared in Masiform-D 6, July 1977
> 
> The events of the episode ENTERPRISE INCIDENT occur during the asterisks.

 

 

ENTERPRISE COINCIDENCE

 

…or…

 

Things Are Seldom What They Seem

 

 

            "I still don't think this is going to work."

            "Pessimist," said the Commander, leaning back in her chair.  "Our plans have been most carefully laid, I assure you."

            Tal began pacing back and forth in front of the Commander's desk.  "Carefully!  This whole mission is a perfect way to get yourself killed.  Or worse," he added as an afterthought.  "They -- "

            "Might scratch the paint of your precious ship, which is what you're really worried about.  All ship captains are alike -- which is one of the reasons we think we can pull this off.  Kirk will be so anxious to get his darling _Enterprise_ back to Federation space intact that he won't wonder -- I hope -- too much as to how he did it."  She glanced at the desk clock.  According to the last report, moments ago, the Federation ship was now into Romulan space.

            The Commander felt a squeeze of excitement at the pit of her stomach.  After all the planning, all the careful laying of bait, the time for real action was almost upon her.  The Commander was rather looking forward to a long, interesting, and comfortable sojourn at Federation expense.  Unlike most planted agents, she would be entering enemy territory in a glare of publicity, and under circumstances that would make it clear that she would be unable to return to home space in safety.

            Instead of the usual problems encountered in attempting to fund intelligence operations, she would be supported by soft-hearted (and equally soft-headed) Federation funding.  Such support could doubtless be augmented by fees for tridee show appearances and articles for popular periodicals.  The entire affair appealed to what several of her superiors and numerous fellow agents considered to be a peculiarly perverted sense of humor.

            There was a muttered comment from Tal.

            "I don't believe I quite heard that, Captain."

            An expression of deepest foreboding on his face, Tal said, "I said I still don't like it."

            "Your approval is not required, Captain," the Commander said.  "And I suggest that you go to the bridge now.  We should be picking up our gullible intruders very soon."

            Tal, looking unhappy, saluted and left.  The Commander forced herself to remain seated, outwardly impassive.  Although she had several tentative plans of action in mind, the actual events of the next few hours would be dictated by whatever ploys Captain Kirk would choose to utilize to gain the Empire's cloaking device -- a very specially designed model -- for his federation.

            She wondered, idly, whether Kirk would try to use his own personal brand of one-on-one diplomacy.  She rather hoped he would.  The Commander was not without expertise in Standard Information Gathering Technique Number One herself.  Such a course of action, in addition to being a pleasant way to pass the time, would hold the added advantage of providing her with Captain Kirk as a ready-made champion.  Kirk, if she judged the reports correctly, would never believe that a woman whom he had persuaded of the error of her political ways would ever recover her wits enough to backslide.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

            After the classic 'death' scene in the ship's brig, the Commander, hard put to maintain a straight face, hastily returned to her quarters.  Tal followed shortly thereafter.

            The Commander, swinging her chair around in her chair as he entered, said, "It is really quite remarkable; they are reacting almost exactly as predicted.  They have sent the -- er -- corpse back to the _Enterprise?"_

            "Yes," Tal said.  "By the way, Commander, I'm curious -- what explanation did they give for violation of the treaty borders?"

            "They -- " The Commander stopped.  When she began again, the incipient tremor had been banished from her voice.  "The First Office of the USS _Enterprise_ has reported, 'on his honor as a Vulcan,' and as all the galaxy has been repeatedly told, a Vulcan cannot lie -- "

            "What a charming and convenient story," interjected Tal.

            "Isn't it? -- that the strain of command has driven Captain Kirk insane.  Kirk has therefore ordered the ship into the Neutral Zone, without Starfleet's knowledge, to satisfy his craving for glory.  Furthermore -- and stop that laughing, Tal!"

            The Commander's own vocal control broke, but she managed, with great effort, to finish the story.  "And Spock stood there, l-lapping up all that nonsense about Vulcan integrity and -- and s-s-superiority -- he's as bad an actor as you are, Captain -- "  She choked slightly and began coughing.

            Tal, leaning heavily on the desk, managed to regain some measure of solemnity.  "My favorite bit was that melodramatic murder scene.  The famous Vulcan Death Grip…"

            "Of which no one has ever heard," said the Commander unsteadily.  "And now for the great escape, I think."

            Tal was suddenly completely sober.  "Let us hope that luck continues to favor us, Commander."  Since only a few of us are aware that the _Enterprise_ is _supposed_ to escape, the Empire may find itself in the embarrassing position of presenting a decoration to some overeager helmsman who's wiped out a top agent and a year of work!"

            "Not to mention that lovely custom-crafted cloaking device," she said dryly.  "I hope they won't be too upset when it blows out half of the ship's circuitry within twelve hours.  But then, they'll have me."

            "Won't they wonder why such a top-secret device isn't surrounded by guards and alarms?  Or why it _works_ on an alien ship?

            "Your job, Captain, is to press them so hard they don't have time to notice."  The Commander had always felt that this was one of the weakest areas in the entire plan, but she wasn't about to feed Tal's anxieties.

            There was a subdued chirp from the intercom.  "That's your signal," said the Commander.  "Spock will be here in a moment for our intimate dinner.  Goodbye, Captain.  It's been a pleasure."

            "Goodbye, Commander."  Tal hesitated.  Obviously 'have a good trip' and 'don't forget to tape' were inappropriate.  He strongly suspected that 'be careful' would engender a withering reply.  "Do you have everything you need…?"

            "Go _on_ , Tal -- I'm quite sure the Federation will manage to provide me with a toothbrush!"

            The door slid shut behind Tal.  It opened a minute later to allow Spock to enter.

            The Commander, her mind primarily concerned with what might be happening elsewhere on the ship, managed to get through dinner with the Vulcan without remembering much about the conversation.  She was rather worried about Tal's ability to act his role.  Like most of the regular military, he felt that Intelligence work was sneaky and underhanded.  Which, the Commander reflected, was quite true….

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

            "You state the obvious, Spock!"  If she'd known that she was going to have to listen to almost half an hour of Spock's Romulan Right of Statement, she would have been tempted to refuse the whole assignment.  How long could it take to hook in a cloaking device, anyway?  Just as the Commander was afraid of falling asleep from sheer stupefaction at the Vulcan's incredible display of linguistic virtuosity, she noticed the beginning sparkles of a transporter beam surrounding Spock.

            _And about time -- I was beginning to be afraid they were going to leave him with us!_ she thought.  She stepped quickly around the desk and flung her arms around the Vulcan.  With what she considered to be great restraint, she refrained from placing her hands firmly over his mouth.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

            "It will be our secret," the Commander said softly to Spock.  _And I'd love to know,_ she thought, _exactly what he thinks I'm talking about.  Be obscure and everyone thinks you must be profound._

            She turned and followed Spock along the curving corridor.  He stopped in front of a door.  "Your quarters, Commander."

            The Commander inclined her head gracefully at the Vulcan, and entered the cabin.

            "Peace and long life, Commander."  Spock gave the Vulcan salute.

            She responded in kind, adding a soulful, yearning look for good measure.  As the door closed, an expression of smug satisfaction covered her face.  Despite her assurances to Tal and the other two ship captains involved, much of this operation had seemed to hinge on the unlikeliest of contingencies.

            But the Federation had bitten, and so hard that it was going to chip some teeth.  Feeding false information into their system was going to be simplicity itself -- talk about gullible minds!  How anyone, however well-primed, could believe that a device intended for an Empire ship would work on a Federation vessel, and do so without any alterations, was hard to understand.

            Suddenly tired, the Commander kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the bed.  _Some people_ , she thought, sliding into sleep, _will believe ANYTHING._

 

# # #


End file.
